Reconstruction:Proto-Indo-European/speḱ-

This Proto-Indo-European entry contains reconstructed terms and roots. As such, the term(s) in this entry are not directly attested, but are hypothesized to have existed based on comparative evidence.

Proto-Indo-European

Root

*speḱ-^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]^[5]

to see, to look, to observe

Reconstruction notes

The Greek roots show a metathesized *sḱep-.

Derived terms

Terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *speḱ- (35 c, 0 e)

*spéḱ-ye-ti (ye-present)
*spḱ-néw-ti ~ *spḱ-n̥w-énti (*new-present)
- Proto-Indo-Iranian: *spaćnáwti
  - Proto-Iranian: *spacnáwti
    - Old Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬱𐬥𐬎𐬚𐬁 (spašnuθā, 2pl.pres.ind.)
*spḗḱ-s-t ~ *spéḱ-s-n̥t (*s-aorist)
- Proto-Hellenic: *éskēpset
  - Ancient Greek: σκέψατο (sképsato)
- Proto-Indo-Iranian:
  - Proto-Indo-Aryan:
    - Sanskrit: अस्पष्ट (áspaṣṭa, 3sg.mid.)
- Proto-Italic: *speksai
  - Latin: spexī
*spéḱ-eh₂-ti (eh₂-present)
- Proto-Germanic: *spehōną (see there for further descendants)
*spoḱ-éye-ti (causative)
- Proto-Hellenic: *skopéyō
  - Ancient Greek: σκοπέω (skopéō)
- Proto-Indo-Iranian: *spāćáyati
  - Proto-Indo-Aryan: *spāśáyati
    - Sanskrit: स्पाशयति (spāśáyati)
*spéḱ-s ~ *spḱ-és
*speḱ-u-s
- Proto-Italic: *spekus
  - Latin: specus
*speḱ-yeh₁-s
- Proto-Italic: *spekjēs
  - Latin: speciēs
*spoḱ-ó-s
- Proto-Hellenic: *spokós
  - Ancient Greek: σκοπός (skopós)
*spoḱ-éh₂
- Proto-Germanic: *spahō
  - Proto-West Germanic: *spehu
    - Old Saxon: *speha
      - Middle Low German: *spē
        Low German: spee
    - Old Dutch: *spia
      - Middle Dutch: spie
        Dutch: spie, spee, spij (dialectal)
    - Old High German: speha
      - Middle High German: spehe, spē
        German: Spähe
  - Proto-Norse: ᛋᛒᛡ (sbᴀ)
    - Old Norse: spá
      - Icelandic: spá
  - → Proto-Samic: *pākō (see there for further descendants)
- Proto-Hellenic: *skopā́
  - Ancient Greek: σκοπή (skopḗ)
*spéḱ-mn̥
- Proto-Italic: *spekmen
  - Latin: specimen (inserted i)
*spéḱ-tis
- Proto-Hellenic: *sképtis
  - Ancient Greek: σκέψις (sképsis)
*spḱ-tós
- Proto-Indo-Iranian: *spaštás
  - Proto-Indo-Aryan: *spaṣṭás
    - Sanskrit: स्पष्ट (spaṣṭá)
  - Proto-Iranian: *spaštáh
    - Avestan: 𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬌𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬱𐬙𐬀 (auuispašta)
    - Parthian: 𐫙𐫘𐫛𐫏𐫢𐫤 (ʿspyšt)
- Proto-Italic: *spektos
  - Latin: spectus
  - Umbrian: 𐌔𐌐𐌄𐌕𐌖𐌓𐌄 (speture, dat.sg.)
*spéḱ-tḗr
- Proto-Indo-Iranian: *spáštā
  - Proto-Iranian: *spáštā
  - Younger Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬱𐬙𐬀𐬭 (spaštar, “protector, guardian; seer”)
*spéḱ-tro-m
- Proto-Italic: *spektrom
  - Latin: spectrum
*spéḱ-tlo-m
- Proto-Italic: *spektlom
  - Latin: speculum, specula

Unsorted formations

Proto-Iranian:
- Avestan: 𐬯𐬞𐬀𐬴𐬌𐬙𐬌 (spaṣ̌iti, “sight; protection”)
- Khotanese: [script needed] (spāśś, “look”)
- Bactrian: σπασο (spaso /⁠spās⁠/, “service”), ασπασο (aspaso /⁠əspās⁠/)
- Sogdian: (/⁠(ə)spās⁠/, “service, worship, respect”)
  Manichaean script: 𐫀𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫘 (ʾspʾs), 𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫘 (spʾs)
  
  Sogdian script: [script needed] (ʾspʾs), [script needed] (spʾs)
  
  Syriac script: ܐܣܦܐܣ (ʾspʾs), ܣܦܐܣ (spʾs)
- Kurdish:
  - Central Kurdish: سپاس (spas), سوپاس (supas)
  - Northern Kurdish: spas
  - Southern Kurdish: سِپاس (sipas)
- Parthian: (/⁠(a)spās⁠/, “service”)
  Inscriptional Parthian script: 𐭎𐭐𐭎𐭉 (spsy)
  
  Manichaean script: 𐫀𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫘 (ʾspʾs)
  - → Old Armenian: սպաս (spas)
  - → Manichaean Middle Persian: 𐫀𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫘 (ʾspʾs /⁠aspās⁠/, “service”)
- Middle Persian: (/⁠(i)spās⁠/, “service; thanks, gratitude”)
  Inscriptional Pahlavi script: 𐭮𐭯𐭠𐭮𐭩 (spʾsy)
  
  Manichaean script: 𐫙𐫘𐫛𐫀𐫘 (ʿspʾs)
  
  Book Pahlavi script: [Book Pahlavi needed] (spʾs)
  - Persian: سپاس (sepâs) (see there for further descendants)

Descendants

Proto-Indo-Iranian: *spać-
- Proto-Indo-Aryan: *spaś-
  - Sanskrit: स्पश् (spaś)
- Proto-Iranian: *spac-
  - Bactrian: σπισ- (spis-), ασπισ- (aspis-), σαπισ- (sapis-)
  - Khotanese: [script needed] (spāśś-, “to look”)
  - Parthian: 𐫙𐫘𐫛 (ʿsp)
  - Sogdian: [script needed] (ʾspʾyš), [script needed] (ʾspyš), [script needed] (spyš), [script needed] (spxš)
Proto-Tocharian: *päk-

References

^ Pokorny, Julius (1959) “spek̑-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 984
^ Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), “*spek̑-”, in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, pages 575-576
^ De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “speciō, -ere”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 578-579
^ Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “σκέπτομαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1347-1348
^ Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*spas”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 353-354

[1] Pokorny, Julius (1959) “spek̑-”, in Indogermanisches etymologisches Wörterbuch [Indo-European Etymological Dictionary] (in German), volume 3, Bern, München: Francke Verlag, page 984

[2] Rix, Helmut, editor (2001), “*spek̑-”, in Lexikon der indogermanischen Verben [Lexicon of Indo-European Verbs] (in German), 2nd edition, Wiesbaden: Dr. Ludwig Reichert Verlag, →ISBN, pages 575-576

[3] De Vaan, Michiel (2008) “speciō, -ere”, in Etymological Dictionary of Latin and the other Italic Languages (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 7), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 578-579

[4] Beekes, Robert S. P. (2010) “σκέπτομαι”, in Etymological Dictionary of Greek (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 10), volume II, with the assistance of Lucien van Beek, Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 1347-1348

[5] Cheung, Johnny (2007) “*spas”, in Etymological Dictionary of the Iranian Verb (Leiden Indo-European Etymological Dictionary Series; 2), Leiden, Boston: Brill, →ISBN, pages 353-354

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